The Power of Small Things

In Assam, India, a quiet innovation took shape in school kitchens. A pilot program led by WorldFish introduced powdered small fish into standard school meals, aiming to close critical nutrient gaps in children’s diets. The fish powder, made from locally sourced small indigenous species, was added to lentils and rice and served to over 3,000 children across 98 schools and Anganwadi centers.

The pilot was supported by the Government of India under the Prime Minister’s Matsya Sampada Yojana and implemented with state and local partners. It responded to a persistent nutrition challenge in Assam, where 35 percent of children are stunted and 33 percent are underweight.

Small fish are rich in micronutrients like vitamin A, iron, and zinc, nutrients essential for child development but often missing in conventional diets. These species, long consumed in rural communities, have been overlooked in modern food systems in favour of larger, commercially farmed fish. WorldFish has been researching small fish for decades, and this pilot represented a breakthrough in applying that science to a scalable, real-world solution.

The powder was prepared using hygienic drying and processing methods and distributed by local producers. The approach was simple and cost-effective. It also minimized disruption in school kitchens by integrating seamlessly into existing menus. Teachers and kitchen staff reported that the powder was easy to use and well accepted by students.

The pilot builds on other WorldFish programs in countries like Timor-Leste, Myanmar, and Zambia, where small fish and fish-based products are helping combat hidden hunger. A major technical barrier, breeding small fish like mola at scale, was overcome through WorldFish-led research in Odisha. That breakthrough enables farmers and women’s self-help groups to produce these fish reliably.

This video tells the story of the pilot, and of the science, partnerships, and policy work behind it. It highlights the potential of small fish as a sustainable, nutrient-rich solution to child malnutrition, not just in Assam, but anywhere children need better diets.